The book, published by the Society of Biblical Literature, is a biography of the great American Biblical scholar and proto-archaeologist Edward Robinson (1794-1863). It draws heavily upon some four hundred previously unknown letters and papers, including an extensive journal which he wrote while studying in Europe. Williams describes and assesses Robinson's contributions to the development of Biblical studies in America, and places him within a wider context of American and European cultural life and history.
Edward Robinson was deeply connected with the first years of Hamilton College. He was the valedictorian of the first full graduating class and returned after graduation to serve as a tutor. He married Eliza Kirkland, the youngest daughter of Samuel Kirkland, a missionary who founded Hamilton College. Robinson later studied at Andover Theological Seminary and then in Europe. His journal describes his trip to Europe and is a who's who of 19th century Europe and America. Among his friends and acquaintances were James Fenimore Cooper, H. W. Longfellow, Washington Irving, Jacob Grimm and Goethe. His second wife, Therese, was German and was herself a noted scholar and writer. Through her he became a part of an important intellectual circle of German and American scholars.
Robinson was a noted lexicographer, translator, editor and Biblical scholar. His chief claim to fame was as a geographer of the Holy Land. He was the first well-trained biblical scholar of modern times actually to travel to Syria-Palestine. His work, describing the geography and identifying ancient sites of the Sinai, Palestine and Arabia Petra, became a standard in the field and greatly encouraged the archaeological developments of the next generation.
Professor Williams, a 1954 graduate of Hamilton College, earned a master of divinity from Union Technological Seminary and Ph.D. from Columbia University. He joined the faculty of Hamilton College in 1960 and has served as chair of the religious studies department and as director of the Asian studies program. Williams has written extensively on the Bible and numerous other religious topics. He has participated in archaeological excavations in Israel, where he also conducted courses on Biblical archaeology. He is listed in Who's Who in Religion, Who's Who Among Intellectuals, Who's Who in Poetry and Who's Who in Biblical Studies and Archaeology.
